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EDUCATION
In the University of Hong Kong, the establishment of the Centre of Asian Studies in November 1967 generated a number of inter- departmental research projects—among them, an investigation into rehousing policies in Hong Kong and their relevance to other Asian cities—and gave rise to inter-disciplinary seminars such as those on 'Asian Urbanization: a Hong Kong Casebook', and on "The Overseas Chinese in Vietnam'. In the Arts and Social Sciences Faculties, studies are under way of economic developments in Hong Kong and in China; of the Cultural Revolution in China; of Hong Kong's geology and physical geography; of comparative linguistics and comparative phonetics, relevant to Cantonese; of the teaching of both English and Chinese, and of school curricula and examinations in Hong Kong. Among the Medical Faculty's researches have been a study of the constituents of local plants of medicinal interest, a survey of maternal and perinatal mortality in Hong Kong, and an investigation into the cause of neonatal jaundice, while the child development studies begun in 1967 have continued. In the fields of science, engineering and architecture, work has been carried out relevant to pest and rodent control, on the determination of trace elements in plant material for the assessment of soil deficiences, on the thermal conductivity of Hong Kong soil, and on the design and structure of multi-storey housing in the Hong Kong context. The Physical Education Department has taken advantage of the Basic Foundation Course in Physical Education adopted by most Faculties of the university as part of their curriculum, to carry out a study of the physical fitness of undergraduates.
In The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Research Centres have been set up under the university's three Research Institutes (the Institute of Social Studies and the Humanities, the Institute of Science and Technology and the Institute of Chinese Studies). These provide a wide range of research and training opportunities for staff and students of the university.
Among the very many projects in the Social Studies and Human- ities field, for instance, there are studies on Hong Kong consumer expenditure and behaviour; on urban life; on the evaluation of a family planning programme; on rural towns; on kaifong associa- tions; on functional land use in urban areas; and on the demand